This protocol enables the impact of prophages on their hosts to be revealed. Bacterial cultures are synchronized using conditions that best support the lysogenic state, limiting spontaneous induction. RT-qPCR unequivocally distinguishes prophage-restricted genes and those uncoupled from phage control from those that are expressed during the lytic replication cycle.
Krishnamurthi, R., González-Tortuero, E., Plahe, G., Goodhead, I. B., Fothergill, J. L., James, C. E., Allison, H. E. Understanding the Impact of Temperate Bacteriophages on Their Lysogens Through Transcriptomics. J. Vis. Exp. (203), e64945, doi:10.3791/64945 (2024).